Receipts
by MugetsuPipefox
Summary: The Sea-Salt Fam go to Radiant Garden to get some fake ID (post kh3, Part 3 of the Seasalt Fam series)
1. Chapter 1

**KH3 spoilers ahead, folks! **

**This one leads on from 'Old New Faces', but if you haven't read that or 'Without Question', all you really need to know is that Lea, Isa, Roxas, and Xion, are doing their best to be functioning human beings, but to do that they need some ID.**

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"This place feels… kind of familiar," Roxas said as they climbed up the steps leading to the castle.

Xion, beside him, took in the sight of the building towering over them. She could count the number of times she'd been here on one hand, though technically it wasn't the same place anymore; not since they'd finished restoring it back to Radiant Garden. She couldn't say how different it was, though. All she'd done on her trips here had been hiding in the room that had once been Riku's and think.

But she understood what he meant. She'd felt the same way the first time Riku had brought her here. "Sora's been here," she told him. "It's where he fought Xehanort's Heartless the first time." And where he'd sacrificed himself to free Kairi's heart. Which meant it was also technically the place where Roxas and Naminé had really begun. "But it looks different now."

Roxas squinted slightly, as if trying to imagine what it had looked like when Sora had stood in their place. "I think I dreamed about the inside, once."

"It's also Isa's and my homeworld," Axel chimed in. "Right, Isa?"

That she hadn't known. She and Roxas pivoted in mutual surprise. "Really?"

Isa kept his gaze forward. "That was a long time ago," he said.

Xion wondered why they'd decided to pick Twilight Town as their new home, then, instead of returning here to Radiant Garden. Yes, Twilight Town was _their_ world in a way no other really was, but wouldn't Axel and Isa have preferred to go home? She and Roxas might have loved Twilight Town, but she knew they both loved Axel more. He could have settled down in the Realm of Darkness and they still would have followed him, just to be together.

"When we're done here, how about a grand tour?" Axel grinned. "Wouldn't mind seeing how much the place has changed, myself."

Isa made a face that might have been a grimace, but if he was opposed to the idea, he didn't voice it.

The steps opened out onto a large but empty courtyard. Two enormous doors loomed ahead of them. Xion tilted her head back to see all the way to the top. It would be nearly impossible, she thought, to open them. If they even opened at all. Off to the side, set into the right-hand door, was a much smaller one. Two familiar figures stood guard in front of it, dressed in matching uniforms.

"Yo!" Axel waved as they made their way over.

Both guards scowled at him.

Xion immediately recognised the one on the left as Xaldin, though he looked slightly different now. Her memories of the one on the right were hazy, so he must have been part of the group that had gone off to Castle Oblivion just after she'd been inducted into the Organization. She struggled to remember his name, but came up blank.

"Xaldin? And Lexaeus?" Roxas answered her unspoken question for her, eyes wide with surprise.

Xaldin's scowl eased slightly as he turned to face her and Roxas. Lexaeus averted his eyes.

"Dilan and Aeleus now," Xaldin – Dilan – corrected. "I assume you're here to see Ienzo?"

Roxas smirked, glancing briefly at Isa before replying, "He's going to make us some receipts."

Isa's head whipped in his direction so fast Xion half expected to hear a crack. He levelled Roxas with a smouldering glare that Roxas wasn't even half affected by, before turning it on Axel.

"_Lea_," was all he said, but somehow it seemed to convey plenty.

"What?" Axel shrugged, apparently as immune to Isa's fury as Roxas was. "He's not wrong."

"He's not _right_, either."

"So you admit they _are_ receipts!"

"I said nothing of the sort."

Roxas rolled their eyes at them, already used to their 'arguments' after only a handful of days. So far, this was the biggest thing that Xion could identify that differed Isa from Saïx. Saïx had been cold in his 'anger', and would never engage in Axel's banter. Isa, on the other hand, gave as good as he got. And sometimes she thought he even looked like he was enjoying himself. She wasn't sure how she felt about him, yet, but Axel had vouched for him, and that was good enough for her.

Dilan sneered at them as their argument drifted to something about Axel being a bad influence. "Aeleus, take the children inside. I'll make sure these two fools don't cause more trouble."

Aeleus huffed in silent amusement, though Xion didn't see what was so funny. "I think we'll have a harder time kicking them out than before."

Xion glanced at Roxas, but he simply shrugged, as lost as she was. Without further prompting, Aeleus pulled open the smaller door, and gestured for her and Roxas to follow him inside.

Even the castle's interior had changed, albeit nowhere near as much as the outside. She recognised bits of it, but for the most part had no idea where Aeleus was taking them. They walked in silence for the first few minutes, until Roxas got bored of staring at the repetitive décor and decided to break it.

"So is this your homeworld, too?"

Aeleus kept his focus straight ahead as they turned down another hallway. He pursed his lips. "Yes. All of the original members of Organization XIII are from here."

"It was… Hollow Bastion, right?"

"It became Hollow Bastion when it fell to darkness," Aeleus shook his head. "Now it has been restored."

"Oh."

Xion wondered how many of Sora's memories Roxas had seen. Had he seen the moment Sora had lost his heart? Did he know how significant for him this place was?

"How does a world fall to darkness, anyway?"

"The lab is through there," Aeleus said, coming to a stop on the threshold of a round room. It did not escape their notice that he had ignored the question. The room appeared to be some kind of study, with a large desk in the middle and shelves lining the walls. Across from them was yet another hallway, but she couldn't see where it led from where she was standing. "Ienzo and Even are there already."

Xion and Roxas took the dismissal for what it was, and started for the lab, Xion offering a smile and a 'thank you' over her shoulder.

"Roxas."

They paused, Xion just a couple of paces ahead of him, and looked back. Aeleus made a visible effort to meet Roxas' eye.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Roxas frowned. "For what?"

Aeleus' brows rose in surprise – the most emotion Xion had seen on his face since they'd arrived. "You don't remember?"

"…Remember what?"

"When I taught you about Limit Breaks."

But this only made Roxas more confused. "What about it?" he asked.

This was clearly not the reaction Aeleus had been expecting. "I hit you."

Xion felt kind of bad for him. He looked anxious, like the conversation had completely deviated from what he'd planned for, and now he didn't know what to say.

"And?"

"I _hit_ you."

Roxas turned to her then, expression quizzical, as if Xion would have a better idea of what was going on. Truthfully, though, she didn't understand either. They'd been in more fights than she could count, and more than a few of them had been against people who were supposed to be her allies. Limit Breaks were something that you had to be weak to activate, and if Lexaeus had been the one to teach Roxas about them, then it only made sense that he would have to weaken him _somehow_. And better someone in control than the Heartless, right? Xion herself had been left to figure it out on her own. She would have loved to have someone show her.

Aeleus' gaze darted away, his discomfort increasing when Roxas only stared at him. "There's no excuse for it, but I hope you will forgive me."

"Um," Roxas smiled in bemusement. "I forgive you?" It was clear he still had no idea what the problem was.

For some reason, Aeleus looked sad rather than pleased. "I should return to my post," he said. Without waiting for a reply, he turned and disappeared back the way they'd come.

"What was that about?" Xion asked once he was out of sight.

"Beats me," Roxas began heading for the lab. Xion fell into step beside him. "A little warning would have been nice, but I had to learn about Limit Breaks somehow."

"Axel would probably know."

"We can ask him later."

The hallway leading to the lab was shorter than the ones they'd passed through before. The lab itself was only marginally larger than the study it was connected to, and was lit by numerous computer screens more than by the lights built into the ceiling.

As Aeleus had said, both Ienzo and Vexen – whose Somebody name, Xion guessed, must have been Even – were present; Ienzo in front of the biggest computer, and Even rifling through some papers at a desk on the other side of the space. They looked up as Xion and Roxas entered, immediately abandoning whatever they'd been doing in favour of greeting them.

"Roxas, Xion, it's been a while," Ienzo nodded.

"Probably longer for us than for you," Xion said. She didn't remember the creation of this body, but Vexen had to have been involved. The replica program was his, after all.

Ienzo smiled. He seemed more open than she remembered Zexion being. Maybe it was because he had a heart now. Even Axel had changed a bit, no longer dodging 'emotional' conversations as much as he used to.

"That's true, I suppose."

"Everything is in order, I trust?" Even asked, moving around the desk. "No complications? No problems?"

Xion glanced at Roxas. She hadn't felt like she was getting weaker or stronger despite having practically stuck to him like glue since they'd been reunited, and she hadn't been having any dreams about Sora. She couldn't speak for him, but she'd never felt better.

"We're fine," Roxas assured them.

"Good."

Xion fidgeted a little with the hem of her skirt, suddenly shy. "I… I wanted to thank you. For helping us." She still didn't understand what had made Even go to such lengths for them, especially when they hadn't particularly done anything to earn it. Both Vexen and Zexion had disappeared before they'd even gotten the chance to properly know them.

"It was the least we could do," Ienzo said.

"And Saïx is owed most of the thanks," Even added, to Xion and Roxas' mutual surprise.

"Saïx?" Roxas echoed, voice laced with disbelief.

"He didn't tell you? I might have made the vessels you now dwell in, but I would not have had the chance to do so if not for him. He was the one who gave me access to the old replica program, and helped conceal my activities from Xehanort. Without his involvement, I never would have been able to complete your vessels, let alone put them to good use."

It was hard to believe that Saïx would ever do _anything_ for them. At least, not willingly. Isa, maybe, but Saïx? Saïx had _hated_ her, and barely tolerated Roxas.

"_Saïx?_" Roxas repeated.

Even crossed his arms. "Believe me or don't. Regardless, it's the truth."

It felt like he was trying to convince them that the last year and a half had all just been a dream. But why would he lie? She couldn't see a reason.

"Now," Ienzo lifted a large envelope from where it had been sitting next to a keyboard, effectively changing the subject. "I believe you two are here for some documentation." He handed the envelope to Xion. "We took the liberty of accessing Radiant Garden's records and printing a copy of Lea and Isa's birth certificates before you arrived. As for the two of you… well, it becomes a little more complicated."

"We made a start," Even continued, pulling up some kind of document on the computer. "Xion, we've listed your place of birth as the Land of Departure – Castle Oblivion's true name – and Roxas' as Twilight Town, with the dates of your 'creation', as it were, as your birthdates. Although the year, of course, had to be changed. Ansem – that's Ansem the Wise, not Xehanort's Heartless – has already agreed to sign them in place of a registration officer."

"That doesn't sound too complicated," Xion said.

"The complication arises with the matter of parentage," Ienzo explained.

"Parentage?"

"Your parents."

Xion and Roxas glanced at each other, taking heart in the fact that they were both as lost as each other. "What are parents?" they asked.

Their only response for a long moment were a twin pair of blank stares.

"What are–?!" Even spluttered. "Just what has that damned Axel been _teaching _you?! I told them he was the wrong choice to mentor the Keybearer, but of course they never listened to me!"

Ienzo sighed, infinitely more patient than his colleague. "In the simplest form, parents are people who create a child. Most also stick around to raise them, and teach them the life skills they'll need to survive as adults."

Xion considered this. "Does that mean you're my parent, Even?" He _had_ technically created her.

"Wouldn't it be Sora?" Roxas countered. "Since you're _you_ because of his memories? Or would it be Kairi?"

"But they didn't raise us," she realised. "He said it was someone who takes care of you and teaches you."

There was only one person who came to mind, and from the expression on Roxas' face, he was thinking the same thing.

"Axel," they said.

Even suddenly looked very tired. "Kingdom Hearts help you both."

"While normally I might agree," Ienzo said, faintly amused, "in this case your 'parents' need to be genetically related to you. Unfortunately, the closest you have are Sora, Kairi, and undoubtedly also Ventus, in your case, Roxas."

Roxas' expression closed off at the mention of Ven. Xion had only talked with him briefly, but she'd decided very quickly that she liked him. Roxas, on the other hand, had been avoiding him. She had an idea as to why, but every time she tried to bring it up, he always changed the subject or just didn't answer at all.

"Can't you just put Sora and Kairi?" she asked.

Even hummed. "The problem lies in the fact that neither of them are old enough to be the parents of a teenager, let alone multiple."

"And there's a second issue," Ienzo added. "The two of you are currently underage, and living with people who are obviously not related to you. You would either have to be emancipated, or Lea or Isa would have to legally adopt you. And for that, we'd need authorisation from said parents."

Which would be very hard to do if they went with Sora and Kairi, since Sora was still missing and Kairi was off with Riku and Naminé looking for him.

"What about Sora's parents?" Roxas suggested.

"Do you know their names or how to contact them?"

"…No."

Even raised a brow. "Ventus is technically old enough. It wouldn't be an option for Xion, but it could work for Roxas."

"_No,_" Roxas said immediately, and his tone would not allow for argument.

"We could try calling Kairi," Xion said. "She might know. Or Riku."

Even made a 'go ahead' sort of gesture. Xion fished out her phone, shifting slightly so Roxas could see the screen over her shoulder.

It rang for so long, Xion was convinced she wasn't going to answer. She was probably busy, or maybe even out of range (they'd tried calling Sora without success, so maybe they had the same problem). But, then, just as she was about to give up, the call collected.

"_Hello?_" Kairi's voice sounded far away from the microphone. They could just see the side of her arm, and beyond that an unfamiliar world. There was a loud clang of metal, like a Keyblade striking something, in the background, and then, faintly, Riku yelling.

"Kairi?" Xion tried.

The view shifted, and suddenly they were looking at Kairi. Her hair was dishevelled, like she'd been caught in a strong wind, and there was dirt on her cheek. "_Oh, hi!_" she smiled. There were more noises somewhere beyond their view. "_Hang on just a sec._"

The screen went dark as Kairi shoved it into her pocket. They listened in silence as she let out a battle cry, closely followed by more clanging. Less than a minute later, the sound died down, and the video feed blurred with colour.

"_Sorry about that,"_ Kairi smiled, back in view.

"Are you okay?" Xion asked.

"_We're fine. We haven't found Sora yet, but we think we're getting close._" Muffled talking filtered through the speaker, and Kairi turned away. "_It's Xion and Roxas._"

Riku's face suddenly popped into view beside her. "_Hey._"

Roxas stepped back out of the camera's range, scowling. For whatever reason, he had some kind of grudge against him, no matter how many times Xion tried to convince him that returning to Sora had been her own decision.

Naminé peered around Riku's shoulder. She waved when she spotted Xion.

"Hi," she returned. She, at least, liked Riku. Even if Roxas didn't.

"_Everything okay?_"

"We had a question, actually. If you're not too busy."

_"Sure,_" Kairi said, at the same time as Riku's "_Shoot._"

"We're trying to get birth certificates," she began. "But we don't have parents."

"_Oh. That's a tough one_," Kairi hummed. "_I'd say put my parents, but I don't remember their names._ _And the people who adopted me on the Islands aren't actually related to me._"

"What about Sora's parents?"

Riku laughed. "_Sure, if you want to explain to them that their fourteen year old son went gallivanting around the universe with only two talking animals for supervision, removed his own heart, and was cloned._"

Kairi elbowed him. Then, to Xion, "_You could put me down? I don't mind._"

Riku looked down at her in total exasperation. "_Kairi, you're sixteen._"

"_And Xion's only one, right? It works._"

"_Do you seriously think anyone is going to look at her or Roxas and believe they're one?_"

"_…I could pass as an adult! A little make-up, the right clothes, and a fake ID and no one would ever know!"_

Riku's expression said more than words ever could. Kairi ignored him.

"_Put me down_," she insisted. "_And Sora. It's technically true, right?_"

Riku muttered something under his breath that Xion didn't catch. Behind her, Roxas pulled a face.

"I suppose we could, and just hope no one looks too closely," Ienzo mused, moving so he would be seen on their feed. "But we'll need you and Sora to sign some forms to release them into Lea's care." A pause. "Unless you intend to fight him for custody."

Kairi laughed. "_I think I'd lose._"

_"Better get Sora to sign it before telling him what it is,_" Riku snorted. "_He just might._"

"I'll send the forms directly to your gummi phone."

"_Okay_," Kairi nodded. "_We should be back home soon. Bye, Xion, Ienzo! Say bye to Roxas for me!"_

Riku and Naminé chimed in with their own goodbyes, and then Kairi hung up. Xion took a moment to process everything that had just happened.

"Well, that solves that, I suppose?" Ienzo didn't sound very confident.

On the other side of the room, Even had sunk down into a chair and had his head in his hands. "I'll get started on the paperwork," he mumbled, but didn't move to get up at all.

With all the information they needed, it only took ten minutes to finish the birth certificates, sans the signatures they needed from whoever Ansem the Wise was. Xion stared down at her own, and the neatly printed names of Kairi and Sora as her parents. Roxas and Naminé had been listed as her siblings – all marked with the same birth date, despite Xion having been 'born' a few days later than them.

"This is weird," Roxas said, staring at his own.

"Yeah," she agreed.

"It's only for legal reasons," Ienzo reassured them, halfway through sending Kairi the rest of whatever paperwork she needed to sign. "Your relationship with them doesn't have to change, and once you're adults it won't matter anyway."

He was right, Xion supposed. Which was just as well, because Sora and Kairi were more like friends – or maybe siblings – than what Ienzo had described parents as. They hadn't even known about her, Roxas, or Naminé for a long time after they'd been created, let alone taught them any 'life skills'.

"We'll get Ansem to sign these, and then you'll be free to go until Kairi returns the forms," Even said.

They followed him back out into the study, just as Axel, Isa, and a blond man with a red scarf over his lab coat were entering from the opposite direction. His intense orange eyes immediately landed on Xion and Roxas.

"Ah, just who we were looking for," he said.

Beside her, Roxas tensed.

"We've finished writing up the documents," Ienzo said by way of greeting. He crossed the room to pass the birth certificates over to him. "They only need a signature."

Xion assumed that meant this was Ansem the Wise.

"You guys certainly don't waste any time," Axel said.

Xion went over to hand him the envelope Ienzo had given her earlier. "Unlike you and Isa," she snickered.

"It's a wonder he ever gets anything done," Isa remarked dryly, as if he hadn't instigated it.

Axel huffed, but he was smiling. "Wow, some friends."

Ansem put the certificates down on the desk and pulled a pen from his coat pocket. "Sora and Kairi," he read. "Surely they are a bit young to be parents."

"You guys seriously put Sora and Kairi?"

"It was Kairi's idea," Xion defended. "And we didn't really have any other options."

"I doubt it will be a problem," Isa said. "Having the certificate should be enough. It's unlikely anyone will have reason to look into it any further."

"Here we are, Xion," Ansem straightened. He held out one of the papers to Xion, which she accepted with a small 'thank you'. He turned to Roxas with the other one. "And Roxas."

The second Ansem said Roxas' name, it was like he'd suddenly been released from stopga. He leapt backwards, and Oblivion and Oathkeeper flaring to life in his hands, the former pointed right at Ansem's face. Xion had never seen him so furious.

On her left, Axel summoned his own Keyblade, but it stayed at his side in a tight grip. "Roxas?!"

Roxas didn't take his eyes off Ansem. "It's you," he spat. "I knew I recognised your voice."

Ansem didn't even flinch. In fact, he seemed entirely unfazed, as if he had expected this.

"Roxas?" Xion took a step closer, unsure if she should intervene. Anyone who could provoke such a reaction had to be an enemy, right? But so far Ansem had shown no signs of hostility.

Roxas turned his head towards Axel, but his gaze didn't waver. "It's the guy from the other Twilight Town."

Axel's eyes widened in shock, but Xion still had no idea what was going on. Other Twilight Town?

"What other Twilight Town?" she asked, but no one appeared to have heard her.

"DiZ." Axel pushed his way around so he was standing beside Roxas, but he still didn't raise his Keyblade. The tension was so thick Xion thought she might suffocate.

Isa stepped between them and Ansem. "Put those away," he ordered.

"Isa–!"

Isa's claymore slammed so heavily into the floor, Xion was surprised it didn't crack. "That was not a request."

"You can't boss us around anymore," Roxas turned his glare on Isa. "I'll go through you if I have to."

"Ansem has been kind enough to assist us in acquiring the documents we need. Whatever grievances you've had in the past are irrelevant."

"They are right to hate me," Ansem cut in. "Roxas, I have done you and Naminé great harm. But I will not ask for your forgiveness. I do not deserve it. Instead, I will dedicate myself to atonement, though I fear it will never make up for the pain I caused."

Roxas seemed surprised – evidently he hadn't expected an apology – but Xion could see he was still angry. She had no idea what Ansem had done to hurt him, but it must have been bad.

Axel heaved a sigh, and his Keyblade vanished in a flare of light. "Come on, buddy," he gave Roxas a small nudge to the side. "Let's go wait outside."

Roxas looked like he was going to protest, but one glance at Axel's expression had him relaxing from his defensive stance. He shot Ansem and Isa a scathing glare as he followed Axel out of the room, Oathkeeper and Oblivion still in hand.

Ansem nodded to Isa. "I thank you for your defence, however unjustified it was."

Isa turned on him. "Do not misunderstand my actions," he said, and for a moment it was as if Saïx had taken his place. "Hurt them again and you'll be answering to me." He stalked from the room, claymore disappearing from his hand. "Come along, Xion."

Xion cast one last apologetic smile back at Even and Ienzo, who still stood off to the side, and trailed after him.

Isa's words echoed in her head. '_Hurt them again and you'll be answering to me'_. Did that mean he really did care? She snuck a glance up at him, weighing her desire for answers against the deep frown on his face. Saïx would have yelled at her for sticking her nose in, but with Isa, she wasn't so sure.

"…Do you know what they meant by 'other Twilight Town'?" she asked quietly, deciding to risk it.

Isa's pace slowed marginally. "I suppose it makes sense you wouldn't know," he said, tone thoughtful. "But it's not my story to tell."

She had a feeling that Roxas wouldn't want to talk about it. Axel seemed to know what had happened, and Ansem had mentioned Naminé. Maybe she could ask one of them.

"For a time, Ansem the Wise took on the alias of 'DiZ'," Isa continued, to Xion's surprise. "Roxas left the Organization, and was caught up in DiZ's plans to awaken Sora. That's all I can tell you."

Roxas had left the Organization? Was it… because of her? "Thank you," she mumbled. It was more than she'd expected to learn.

Axel and Roxas weren't in the courtyard when they emerged from the castle. Isa didn't appear at all concerned, and headed for the steps leading back down to the rest of the town without stopping. Xion paused just long enough to say goodbye to Dilan and Aeleus before she ran to catch up. As they reached the top and looked down, she quickly spotted Axel and Roxas sitting on the bottom step. She couldn't hear what they were saying from here, but she could tell from Roxas' hunched form and the seriousness on Axel's face as he watched Roxas that it wasn't just idle chitchat.

Axel must have seen them in his peripheral vision, because he turned marginally in their direction. 'Give us a minute,' he mouthed.

Isa nodded once and switched his focus to Xion. "Was there anything in the town you wanted to see?"

Honestly, she didn't really know anything about the town beyond the castle. "I'm not sure. What's your favourite place?"

Isa considered for a moment. Then, without a word, he reached out a hand and opened a dark corridor. She followed him in without hesitation.

Less than a minute later, they were stepping out before a tiered fountain with water seemingly glowing in shades of purple and blue. Xion gaped. She'd never seen anything like it.

"Radiant Garden doesn't have a beach," Isa, beside her, said almost apologetically. "But it does have a fountain."

"It's beautiful," she breathed. She would have to make sure Roxas got to see it, too. After a moment, she tore her eyes away from the sight to look at Isa instead. His expression was softer than anything she'd ever seen on Saïx's face. And, she realised, under his mask of indifference, he was kind. "Isa."

He turned to her.

"Thank you for helping me and Roxas."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," he averted his eyes back to the fountain.

Xion didn't bother to point out the lie. Instead, she enjoyed the peace of the fountain, and the calm of Isa's company. Who'd have ever thought, she mused, that she would spend time alone with him and actually enjoy it? Who'd have thought she'd find herself genuinely starting to like him? Maybe Axel had been right, after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**I was absolutely not intending to expand on/continue this one but uhhhhh have some Emotions™ I guess**

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It wasn't until they'd reached the bottom of the steps leading to the castle that Roxas dismissed his Keyblades. And even then, it was only because Lea patted the space next to him, inviting him to sit down. Roxas was still a coiled spring, despite being well and truly out of Ansem's reach, and there was still a prominent frown on his face.

For a long while, Lea let the silence stretch on, staring out at Radiant Garden laid out before them. Roxas opted to glare at the tiles at his feet.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he finally asked, tilting his head just enough that he could see Roxas out the corner of his eye.

"No."

Lea hadn't thought so. Roxas tended to wear his heart on his sleeve – always had, no matter how little Axel had understood it – but trying to get him to talk about what he was feeling when it was about himself, instead of someone else, was like pulling a tooth.

"He ruined everything."

The words were so quiet, Lea almost didn't catch them. He shifted so he was looking directly at Roxas, and hoped the movement wouldn't scare him back into his shell.

"It was because of him and Riku that Xion..."

Lea sighed. "Xion made her own decision." Whether he liked it or not, and whether Riku or DiZ had had a role in it was irrelevant. She'd been confident in her choice, and truthfully he'd known something like that had been coming. He just hadn't known what to do about it.

Roxas rounded on him, anger boiling over again. "She didn't have to!" he snapped. "We could have found another way!"

Lea wasn't so sure there _was_ another way. He'd wanted to save her as much as Roxas had, but unlike Roxas, he hadn't been blinded by optimism. Unlike Roxas, he had known the truth. _I guess that's on me, then_. Would things have been different if he hadn't been so scared of Roxas disappearing back to Sora? If he'd told him the truth instead of deliberately keeping him in the dark?

"She's here now, isn't she?" he pointed out. "We got her back."

"But she shouldn't have had to disappear in the first place!" Roxas' eyes were wet with tears.

Lea wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. He'd gone without a heart for so long, he'd lost touch with emotions. Being around Roxas and Xion had made him feel things back when he'd thought he couldn't anymore, but they'd been ten years coming. And a decade was a long time to be numb.

"It's my fault." The words hitched, and a few tears spilled over.

"Roxas, it's _not_–"

"I killed her."

Lea froze.

"She turned up at the clock tower, and we fought, and… and I killed her." Roxas was a miserable figure, hunched in on himself, and tears streaking down his face.

Isa and Xion appeared at the top of the steps. They made no move to join them at the bottom. '_Give us a minute,'_ Lea mouthed to Isa. He would understand. Seeing Xion right now… probably wouldn't help Roxas. And Isa's presence would just antagonise him further.

Isa, thankfully, gave a single knowing nod, and then disappeared from view, Xion following behind him. He and Roxas could go find them later.

"It's not your fault, Roxas," Lea insisted. There was apparently a _lot_ he didn't know about, but there was no way any of it had been Roxas' fault. Not when people like Lea – or rather Axel – had worked so hard to keep him ignorant.

Roxas looked up at him, anger still clear, though Lea could no longer tell who it was directed at. "I _killed her!_"

"I doubt she gave you much of a choice." She'd been so determined to do what she thought was right. And in her mind that meant she had to disappear. What better way to do it than to let Roxas absorb back everything she'd taken from him? Lea suppressed a grim smile. That was no 'better way' in his book. Not when it left Roxas like this. Not when it came at the cost of her life. And what if he had lost? He'd been getting so much weaker towards the end; it was definitely a possibility. What would she have done then?

Roxas let his gaze drop back to the ground, still riled up but apparently finding some truth in his words. "She told me to free Kingdom Hearts," he murmured. "I thought if I could do that, things would go back to the way they were. I thought she'd come back. And then Riku and DiZ got in the way, and they put me in the other Twilight Town, and I _forgot_, and–"

His words choked into nothing. Lea's heart ached. He reached out, wrapping his arm around Roxas' shoulders and tugging him into a side-hug. Roxas pressed his face into Lea's shoulder. There was nothing he could say that would make it better.

"When I fought you in the mansion, I thought I was never going to see you again," Roxas' voice was muffled by the fabric of Lea's shirt. "I finally remembered but I still couldn't do anything."

"I told you, didn't I?" Lea said quietly. "We'd meet again in the next life."

"Yeah."

There was definitely more to the Ansem Issue than what Roxas had revealed. Lea had only had an outsider's perspective, but it couldn't have been easy slowly finding out that everything you thought you knew was a lie, or that you were being manipulated. And then, in the end, he'd been forced to go back to Sora anyway. Xion's sacrifice felt hollow, in light of that. She'd tried to save him, too, but he'd very quickly followed her.

Lea wouldn't push for answers, though.

He knew had a lot to make up for. Despite everything, Roxas still trusted him, no matter how undeserved it felt. But he would make up for it. There would be no more secrets, he decided. He would not let him or Xion down again.

They wouldn't go tracking down Isa and Xion for another twenty minutes. Roxas' eyes were still a little red, but Xion and Isa gracefully didn't ask. Xion was a good distraction, excitedly showing them the fountain Isa had brought her to – and Lea recalled having splashed around in it back when he'd been their age – but Roxas stayed close to Lea's side the entire time. When they finally started a proper tour, she came to stand by Roxas, linking her hand in his.

Lea watched them as he and Isa took them through the town. He'd tried so hard to save them, and had ended up losing them both. Somehow, and no small thanks to Sora, he'd gotten them back, but it very easily could have been different.

_I won't mess up again,_ he silently told them. _I promise._


End file.
